Leorai Drabbles
by leggo lover 99
Summary: It's Leorai week so have a short story a day all about Leo & Karai. Day 1: Wedding- rated T for blood and warning for character death. Day 2: Children- The birth of Miwa. Day 3: Secrets- rated T for slight sexual mentions. Day 4: Road Trip- How Leo & Karai met abroad. Day 5: First thoughts about each other.
1. Wedding

**For those of you following 1056 Hours, I have the next chapter written in a note book, but due to exams, holidays and art projects I haven't had time to type it up yet, but I will get it up as soon as possible. In the mean time: Happy Leorai Week! :)**

 **Appologies in advance if there are mistakes as I got back home from holiday yesterday and have had only around 4 hours of 'proper' sleep in 48 hours so am near to crashing. :(**

 **Day 1: Getting Married**

Heart beating in his chest, Leo ran, ignoring the sting of his wounds and the pained noises coming from his arms. He had to get back. Nothing else mattered. Clenching his teeth together he pressed his ear closer into the phone wedged between his shoulder and cheek, the long rings seeming to mock his desperation.

Riiiiiinnnnnnggggg

Riiiiiinnnnnnggggg

Riiiiiinnnn- click.

"Hel-"

"DONNIE!" Leo cut his brother off, barely keeping his voice level as tears chocked him. "I need the med-bay ready NOW! Stab wound. Gut. I'm nearly there." He blurted out each word, knowing his brother would need no further explanation.

"I'm on it." The phone clicked off and Leo breathed a sigh of relief that he had made contact. With only a short distance left to run, he didn't want to deal with his family when the wound was this extreme.

A moan came from his arms and the turtle brought his arms closer to his plastron, holding the shivering body as near to him as he could, as if he could will life back into her.

"Please, my love. Just hold on for me…"

"…And for Miwa…" Came the weak reply and Leo felt tears begin to slip past his guard. Lowering his head he planted a kiss on the wet hair.

"Yes. And for her." He allowed a desperate smile to grace his lips. "We're here." With these words, he jumped over the turnstiles with as much care as he could muster and ignoring the gasps and stares from the large gathering in and around the pit, he charged into the lab where Donnie and April stood beside the table they had often used as an operating table.

"Place her here." Donnie ordered, shock quickly morphing into a concentrated calm as he picked up a syringe of what Leo guessed was some sort of strong pain killer or sedative.

"I tried… the healing hands…" He gasped for breath and quickly scrubbed his eyes to clear the tears which were now running thick and fast. A hand was placed on his shoulder and he looked to his side and met April's pained expression face.

"We'll do our best." She promised and before he could help himself he collapsed to his knees as reality hit home. Karai was dying and there was nothing he could do. He touched the dark metal band around his finger, remembering the day, long ago when he and Karai had swapped rings and joined together as husband and wife. No… He told himself as April squeezed his shoulder and began to help Donnie cut away Karai's top and remove her armour, exposing the brutal wound beneath. Not long ago. 30 years. 30 years today.

It was their anniversary…

He watched in shock as a mask was placed onto his wife's beautiful face, saw the way the clan's resident doctors probed the wound and pressed cloths on it with grimaces showing how serious the injury was. He could still only stare at his partner as he felt an arm wrap around his shoulders and lift him up, guiding him from the room to let his brother work. He heard words of reassurance, saw the concerned and comforting glances of his large family as he left the lab and saw the figure beside him wave them back. Shaking, Leo turned to the side to meet Raph's emerald gaze and saw the love, pity and fear beneath the cool gaze. It was too much. The leader of the Hamato clan shook himself free of his brother's embrace and pushed past the group nearby to force himself over to his and Karai's quarters. Without looking back he pushed through the door which used to lead to his bedroom but now opened to a corridor with four different doors. He pushed into the first and dropped to his and Karai's bed, put his head in his hands, and sobbed.

Despite not being a doctor, Leo knew enough about injuries and the basic human structure to understand the facts. When that Neo-Foot soldier had forced that blade through Karai's stomach, the piercing scream his wife had emitted and the blood that had seeped through her already crimson lips as he had picked her up told the turtle that something vital had been pierced. There was internal bleeding and the odds were not in her favour. As the tears fell, Leo recalled the reason he had proposed they left the lair for a midnight run together, how, when they were both just teenagers, they had met on the rooftops, fought (well technically, there was no fight, just Karai blinding and kicking Leo's sorry shell, as she loved to point out every time their first meeting was raised.) The idea tonight had been that Leo would distract her while their friends and family gathered for a surprise party to celebrate 30 years together, and for Miwa – their daughter now nearing 30 herself – to imbed a pearl in the present Leo had secretly crafted. However now there seemed no cause to celebrate.

Gathering himself he wiped his eye and left the room and knocked on the third door down the corridor. Inside there were hushed voices.

"Miwa?" He whispered, not trusting his voice, "Can I come in?"

"Come on in otousan." Came the reply.

The cheeriness of her voice made his heart break all over again, but he pushed open the door and found his daughter on the floor beside her girlfriend Akemi, her tail wrapped around the larger mutant's torso, both carefully attending to the final details of the anniversary gift.

"You're early what happened did okāsan sus-" The younger mutant's face froze as she met her father's eye. There was a moment of silent understanding as Leo struggled to find his voice.

"There was an ambush." He whispered, watching how his daughter's face, so beautiful yet serious like her mother's, as she absorbed his words. "She got stabbed. I don't know…" His voice broke but he quickly recovered himself. "She may not make it…" Miwa's face grew pale yet she composed herself.

"Take it." She held out the present as she uncurled her tail from around Akemi. "Let's go and wait for Uncle Don and Auntie April to tell us for certain." She rose and wrapped her arms around her father, both seeking comfort neither child nor parent would ask for aloud. Leo squeezed her shoulder in thanks and together they conveyed out of their apartment and back to the lab. The once cheery atmosphere around the pit had vanished, now replaced by a sombre hush as husband and daughter of the wounded sat beside the steps, calmly waiting for the inevitable.

For a long time nobody spoke.

Nobody dared to tempt fate.

Then Donnie emerged from the lab and gave the news they had been fearing.

It was time to say goodbye.

Nothing could be done.

Karai only had hours to live.

...

...

...

...

One by one everyone had gone to see the leader of the Foot clan, spoken to her once the sedative drugs had worn off and listened to her – at times quite frankly rude – final messages (an example of which being how she told Casey that if he ever dared try to kiss her or Shinigami again she would haunt his nightmares and would leave orders for someone to sew his lips shut for good) yet to everyone's surprise, she demanded she would talk to her husband last of all.

Eventually, as Miwa left the lab with tears running down her cheeks, it was Leo's turn to enter the room. He shut the door and took up the stool beside his wife's bed and took her pale hand in his own. Raising it to his lips, he kissed it and raised his gaze to Karai's amber eyes, watching her lips pull into a smirk at the gesture of affection.

"You're such a sap." Thanks to the drugs Donnie had administered, her voice was now much stronger than it had been earlier and despite the thick bandages around her midsection, the wires and tubes inserted into her skin and the faint tremor to her voice, one would think she were just suffering from a slight wound, not anything as fatal as the reality Leo knew to be true.

"This isn't what I had planned for tonight." The leader whispered.

"What were you imagining? Something dirty?" Karai teased, yet the usual glint in her eye seemed softened, as if her heart were not truly in the jest. Leo played along, wanting to savour every moment he had left with his love.

"Oh yes." He winked his eye, " _Really_ dirty…" A pause for dramatic effect, "I was going to get you to clean Mikey's quarters."

Karai laughed, yet the sound was slightly wet, a sign of how fluid had entered her lungs despite Donnie's best efforts. Leo kissed her hand once again and lifted himself off the stool, squeezing himself on the bed next to Karai as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Don't do this again, Leo." She muttered, entwining their fingers. "Don't blame yourself. You couldn't know." The turtle ruefully shrugged, hating how transparent he was.

"It was an unnecessary risk. We know the Neo-Foot clan has been more active lately. I shouldn't have risked it."

"You overthink too much."

"It's my job."

"No. It's your job to enjoy life." Karai nuzzled into her husband's neck. "Knowing you, once I'm… _gone_ …" She stumbled a little on the word and Leo flinched, "You'll blame yourself, close off from everyone again and you'll lose all the love of life you've… regained over our years… together." Out of the corner of his eye Leo saw Karai turn her face to his own, "Correct?"

Grudgingly, Leo nodded. There was no arguing with this woman, even if she was… _dying_ … And even though her voice was beginning to weaken, she wouldn't let up. She was too stubborn.

"Your point?" He asked gruffly, hiding his growing distress as her breathing became more laboured.

"When we married… you were closed off... But as cheesy as this'll sound… by having… someone to… love… you found… a reason to… live…" She took a shuddering breath and Leo wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. "If you… won't live for… me… anymore… Live for our… daughter… Be happy… For her…" The turtle nodded into her hair as tears filled his eyes.

"I will. I promise." Karai smiled and closed her eyes, yet still she wouldn't shut up.

"Talk to me…" She whispered. "Give me something… to hold onto…"

"Then hold this." Leo answered, suddenly remembering his gift he still held in his hand. The thing he had laboured so long over had almost slipped his mind. He passed it to Karai and watched as her eyes began to well up.

"Did you…?"

"30 years ago, Karai, you promised to be mine forever. I gave you a plain ring with a single dark blue sapphire," he touched the ring on her hand, "because I didn't want to give you anything you would deem "too soppy", yet you gave me a black ring with a dragon etched inside, and as you handed it to me, you said,"

"Hamato Leonardo… if you dare to think… married life will soften me… look at this ring… and remember how easily… the dragon within can rear… its head… and kick your butt… into the middle… of next week…" Karai finished for him and smiled. In her hand rested a black velvet choker with a silver dragon stitched into the surface, wrapping around the band with a single pearl imbedded in its centre, just above the heart. "It's beautiful."

"It's to show you how after 30 years, I can say the dragon's heart _has_ grown and created a softer being, more caring, more loving than it would ever admit." Karai snorted. " _But,_ " Leo continued, curling his wife's fingers around the gift, "this compassion has only made the dragon more dangerous, more deadly and stringer than ever. The dragon has something to fight for and that…" His voice broke a little and a tear trickled from his eye, "that is what makes the woman I love so powerful…" He wiped his eye and sniffed. "I'm sorry…" He whispered. "I wanted it to be perfect…"

Karai leaned into his side further and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you… I'm just sorry… I won't get… to wear it…" Leo felt a tear land on his shoulder and looking down he saw Karai was also softly crying. "We had a good life didn't we…?" Her voice was so low it could barely be heard.

"The best a mutant turtle and a half mutant snake-girl could ask for." He teased and they both chuckled. "Do you remember the wedding?"

"How could… I forget…? You were wearing clothes."

"And later you removed them."

"You enjoyed it."

" _You_ enjoyed my embarrassment."

"But you did look handsome…" Karai admitted, "Black kimonos do suit you."

"And something other than full body armour suits _you_." Leo countered.

"The sun set over… the mountains…" The weakening warrior continued, her eyes closing once more, as her breathing became more laboured. Leo lay down next to her and wrapped both arms around her body.

"And we watched the sun set from the balcony…"

"Noone… was around… for miles…"

"We spent the night under the stars…"

"And… the day… in bed…"

"It was so peaceful."

"You… were… so… hot…" Her voice was now barely a whisper.

"Remember everyone's faces when we got back and they found out we had married without their knowledge?"

"Raph… looked… ready to… explode…"

"Shini was the only one who looked pleased for us at first."

"I thought… Don… was… going to… faint..."

"I thought Splinter was going to banish me." At the name of their deceased father, the conversation turned serious.

"Do… you think… I'll… see him… again…?" Leo nodded into her damp hair.

"Yes. He's been waiting… He misses all of us, but doesn't want to see any of us for a long time…" The leader recalled the various conversations he had had with his father's departed spirit. "He said he just wanted us to be happy… And we are…"

Their eyes met once again and Leo watched his wife's eyes begin to dim.

"I love you, Karai… I'll keep my promise to you." He kissed her on the mouth which she weakly returned.

"And… I… You…" She struggled to get out. "And… Mi..wa…" She shuddered. "I'm… scared… Don't… want… to… lea..ve… you…"

"I'll be with you." Leo held her hand tightly, clutching the fist which held the dragon choker, "No matter what, we'll be together again… I love…" He faltered as Karai's eyes drifted shut and her hand fell limp in his grip. His eyes widened and he sat up just as the machine by the bedside let out a mournful beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeepppppp. "No." Leo breathed. "No. No. No." The gripped his wife's wrist searching for a pulse just as Donnie, who must have been hovering outside waiting for any sign that his expertise was needed.

"NO! Karai! Please…" Leo sobbed, grasping her cooling hand, not wanting to believe she had gone so soon. He had so much to say, so much he had to make up for –

He felt two lanky arms wrap around him and pull him sideways into a fierce hug as the tears continued to fall.

"I'm sorry, Leo…" Donnie's voice was thick with emotion. "I'm sorry… She's gone… There's nothing I can do…"

Leo buried his face in his brother's shoulder and sobbed, his heart tearing apart.

Thirty years ago to the day he had married the first and only girl he had ever loved, and now, now he had to face a life without her... He had no idea how long he clung to his brother, yet when he eventually pulled away, he knew no medicine would mend his own wound, the one he now bore in his heart, the gaping hole which nothing, not even love, could ever truly heal.

 **The general idea of this collection of drabbles is that it will be moving back over time, looking at the different stages of Leo and Karai's relationship. I hope their ending will get a few tears or some sort of sad emotion! Just in case you're wondering Miwa and Akemi are characters from my story 'The New Hamato Clan' (well Akemi isn't there yet, but will be at some stage! ;P )**

 **Hope you enjoyed, leave your thoughts in a review.**

 **Hopefully see you tomorrow. :)**

 **LL99 Out.**


	2. Children

**Day 2: Children**

A scream echoed through the jungle, making Leo snap his head up, his eyes wide in panic. Without a moment's pause he scooped up the bowl he had just been filing and dashed through the trees to the base of the mountain he and Karai had made a shelter in. Bowl clenched between his teeth, he climbed up the jagged slope, moving painfully slow towards their cave when another scream tore through the air. It was high pitched and animalistic. Could it be Karai?

Leo climbed faster, scaling the rocks with ease from the months of practice he had under his metaphorical belt, and upon reaching the top he threw himself over the edge – not spilling a drop of water. In an instant he was in the cave.

"Karai?!" He called, muscles tense for a fight.

"Damn you, three toessss…" Came a strangled hiss and as his eyes adjusted to the gloom he saw a trail of blood and other fluids leading to the corner of the cave where Karai – in her snake form – was curled, panting heavily, her scaly skin glinting in the dim light with sweat.

"Karai…" He breathed a sigh of relief as he moved closer. "I'm sorry… got here as soon as…" Freezing he looked at the object Karai was wrapped around. "That an egg?" He stupidly asked.

"Do you… know… how bloody… hard it is… to get… one of those… _out_?" Karai bared her fangs, her reptilian eyes flashing dangerously. "Next time… we need… protection…" Aside from blushing at the intimate information provided, Leo didn't respond. His cobalt blue eyes were solely fixed upon the egg. The shell was a speckled pale blue colour, no bigger than his two cupped hands.

"May I?" He breathed, completely in awe about what was before him. He saw Karai stiffen slightly – her paranoia and closed off nature from the past year showing itself once more – yet she relaxed and nodded. Leo placed the bowl of water next to his wife and took the cloth which must have fallen on the floor during the birth and dipped it in the water, draping it across the snake mutant's head. Karai closed her eyes and sighed with relief.

"But seriously…" she whispered, "I don't care… if you want another… kid… I am not… doing that… again." The former leader smiled and planted a kiss on her forehead as he lifted up the egg and began to clean it off as well.

"If it means anything, I didn't mean for it to happen." Karai nuzzled into his side.

"Lair."

"Okay." Leo smiled. "Let's just wait and see if it hatches before we jump to conclusions." He hated to dampen the relief of the birth being over, however he knew that as mutants – well technically half-mutants – their reproductive abilities may be hindered and any offspring could be deformed, stillborn or not even come to light. Once the egg was cleaned, he passed it back to Karai who had slowly begun to morph back into her human form, her upper body now that of a human, just with her scales still showing, while her legs remained as a tail. She curled her tail around it and gave a contented smile.

"I still hate you."

"Next time I'll carry the egg." The turtle teased, getting a smirk in reply. He pressed the back of his hand against the egg and felt it was cooler than before. They needed to incubate it. "Need to keep it warm for the next couple of months." He muttered, half to himself, half to his partner. Karai turned to him, eyes ablaze.

"I am _not_ sitting… on an egg for a… 'couple of months'" She hissed, earning an eye roll.

"That's birds, Karai." Sometimes Leo felt that he were speaking to Mikey… _Mikey_ … His breath hitched. His brothers, all the way in New York, knew nothing of this, of Karai and his relationship and of how he had found her. He had sent a message to Splinter saying he had found Karai, yet if he returned with a _child_ … Shaking his head, Leo moved away from these thoughts. He would cross that bridge when he came to it, right now he had to look after the egg. Deep in his chest his heart skipped a beat. No, he scolded himself, not _the_ egg – _our_ egg, _our child_ … "We're both reptiles." He continued aloud, noticing the stare he was getting from the kunoichi for the long delay in finishing his explanation, "And if we don't have an actual incubator, we do what our animal relatives would do in the wild. We bury it." Karai blanched.

"That seems a bit backwards… to me… You bury… dead things."

" _Humans_ bury dead things." Leo once again corrected. "Animals leave dead things _above_ ground to be eaten." Karai rolled her eyes.

"Pedantic."

"You love me really." He grinned as he moved to the mouth of the cave where the evening sun was casting a crimson glow over the ledge outside. He stooped down and pressed a hand to the fine grained dirt which covered the ground. "It's warm here, you get sun most of the day." Without another word he began scraping away at a messy hole with his bare hands as Karai watched on, the egg pressed close to her chest. By the time the sun had almost set, the hole was completed and Leo gestured for his wife to come on over. With a pained groan, Karai, now fully back in human form, moved beside Leo and together they lowered their creation into the ground and began to cover it with a thin layer of dirt so that the child could crawl out easily... At least in theory.

"What do we… do now?" Karai whispered as the last handful of dirt covered the egg. Leo embraced her and stroked her damp forhead.

"We wait."

…

…

…

…

 **58 DAYS LATER**

"Any change?" Karai woke with a yawn as she rolled sideways and pressed herself against Leo's leg who sat with his carapace pressed against the cave wall.

"Yes."

"Oh." Karai yawned again and curled up further when suddenly her brain caught up with what had been said. She bolted upright and looks at the patch of dirt just in the mouth of their cave. Every morning for the last 58 days she had asked her husband the same question and received a negative reply, however this morning there was a clear sign of change. The once flat dirt had been raised slightly, suggesting movement from below, as if whatever was in the egg was trying to get free. Karai turned to Leo's awed expression, fixated upon the ground and did the thing she felt was most appropriate at this moment in her life. She punched him. Hard.

"What was that for?" He cried out, tearing his gaze from the ground.

"Why didn't you wake me?" Karai hissed, annoyed at his lack of sympathy. She had carried that thing around for months and had spent hours in agony forcing it out of her body and Leo wasn't going to wake her when it hatched? Some husband.

"I would have woken you if there was any movement, I woke up and it was like that." He defended, and Karai dropped the matter. Wouldn't want the kid to be born to the sound of arguing, she thought, then cursed her soft thoughts. How soppy.

Together they moved over to the spot and waited for any signs, yet after an hour of nothing, Karai began to get worried.

"What if we've buried it too deep?" She hated the way her voice betrayed her anxiety, yet she could see in her lover's face the same panic building up. "Should be dig it out?" Much to her surprise Leo agreed and frantically they uncovered the egg, and Leo let out a cry.

"I see something inside!" Karai rolled her eyes, but her heart gave the same jump at the news. Looking where Leo was pointing she could see a small section where the shell had been broken and a small patch of emerald green skin.

"Great, another turtle." She teased, but both of them had wide grins on their faces.

"Male or female? Quick, place a bet." Leo breathed.

"Male." Karai guessed. She had no idea what gender the snake's DNA she had been infused with was, but as Baxter had designed it for the turtles she guessed it had been male, and with Leo's DNA being a mix of his own and Splinter's there was an overwhelming male majority in the gene department.

"I'm betting female." Leo smiled, his eyes shining with joy and anticipation.

"How can you even tell with turtles at birth?" Karai suddenly realised, "You feel around for a dick?" The statement brought a deep flash of crimson across her husband's cheeks, making her laugh.

"There are various signs which do include looking at the tail… openings…" Another blush. "But a good way is to see if the plastron is slightly concave – as in, does it curve inwards, that's a sign of being male. Or even if the carapace is more rounded then that's a sign for it being female. But it can be difficult to tell until they grow up." Once again they fell into silence when suddenly, the skin beneath the shell moved and the crack grew. Leo and Karai reached out for one another and joined hands, eagerly awaiting the arrival. A chunk of shell dropped off revealing a small section of carapace which rose up slightly and the top section of the egg popped off.

"A turtle!" Leo cheered. "It's so cute!" Karai watched wide eyed as the little face, almost the same shape of Leo's own head, just with more of a point at the back of the skull, turned to her and she saw blue markings framing the child's closed eyes, just the shape of the tattoos which surrounded her own. She gripped Leo's hand tighter until the little mutant rolled sideways and collapsed out of the egg, smashing the remaining shell into tiny fragments. The expectant parents froze.

"What on earth…?" Leo muttered, taking in the child before him, trying to get his head around what had occurred.

However on the other hand Karai's smile widened and she scooped the baby up into her arms and held it close to her breast, feeling its tiny heart beat next to her own.

"Thank goodness it's not another turtle!" She grinned, then lowering her voice she lent close to the child's head and whispered, "Thank you for being more interesting than just another giant turtle." Meeting Leo's eyes, she watched him feign hurt at the statement, but the sparkle of his eyes betrayed him. He was also in love with this little mutant already.

"So I guess my tail and plastron theories won't be of any help." He joked, looking at the lower part of the child's torso. Up until the waits, the child appeared just as Leo and his brothers had as children, chubby limbs and a tiny shell and carapace, yet from the third row of chest plates, the child had the lower body of a snake with a light blue and purple glint to the scales as a line of plastron plates made a row down the centre of the tail. It was a half turtle-half snake mutant, and it was adorable.

"How are we going to know what to call… _it_?" Leo continued flabbergasted at the merging of his and Karai's genes and the sheer joy he found in just looking at his child – his own flesh and blood.

As if hearing his words, the child opened its eyes, wide blue orbs meeting the gazes of the two mutants staring down at it and it's mouth opened into a wide smile as the tiny hand gripped onto Leo's hovering hand, the small fingers barely making it around one of Leo's fingers.

"She looks like a girl." Karai smiled, taking in the eye shape and the flat edges of the plastron sections. Beside her Leo could only nod, too overcome with emotion to speak. "What shall we call her?" Taking a deep breath Leo met his wife's gaze.

"It's your choice. Whatever you decide I'm happy." Then he paused, thought for a moment then added, "Unless you choose anything like 'killer' 'dagger' or 'fear' then I'll object."

"What about ' _fearless_ '" She teased, enjoying the flash of horror that darted across the turtle's features, but as he realised she was joking, Leo just smiled and shook his head. Karai turned her attention back to her daughter when the perfect name came to her mind.

"How about, _Miwa_?" Leo squeezed her hand in agreement as she continued, speaking directly to the child. "As a baby I was stolen from a life of love and happiness, my name taken from me and my past concealed. By giving you this name I promise to allow you to live the life I never had a chance to and to grow up surrounded by family and friends instead of fear and suffering."

The child, now known as Miwa, met her mother's eyes and nuzzled closer to her, seeming pleased with this title.

"Welcome to the world little Hamato Miwa." Leo whispered, placing a tender kiss on their daughter's forehead, " _Anata o mamorimasu_." _I will protect you._

Karai squeezed Leo's hand and leant into him, savouring every second of the magical moment.

She would always be there for her little Miwa and it would be this child which would allow her own rebirth after nearly losing her mind after her mutation. Maybe Miwa could be the one to save her for good. Leo may have brought her back to reality, yet now it would be their child who would hold them together and form the base to Karai's new life.

" _Watashi no sukuinushi, watashi no musume._ " She muttered. " _Arigatō._ "

 _My saviour, my daughter_.

 _Thank you._

 **Once again, my OC Miwa makes an appearence.**

 **Here is the birth of this little trouble maker. I really needed an excuse to write more about her!**

 **Hope you enjoyed, please leave your thoughts in a review.**

 **Hopefully see you tomorrow.**

 **LL99 out.**


	3. Secrets

**WARNING:** **Includes reference to sexual themes. Don't like, don't read. I've never written anything like this before, so don't kill me.**

 **Day 3: Secrets**

"You know what, Leo. Part of me has always hated you." Though Karai remained in her position, her head resting in her recently married husband's lab, her face turned towards the sunset over the jungle spread below their mountain shelter, Karai could sense Leo's panicked gaze fixate upon her. She continued, hating to sound petty, but if they were now joined together as turtle and wife, the least she could do was be honest with him. "You always belonged somewhere…" She found herself admitting, "You had your brothers, you had father where I was stuck believing Saki was the only family I had…" Knowing Leo was about to say something, she rolled over in his lap so he could meet his eyes. "Honestly, I only thought Saki looked after me just because I reminded him of my mother." A sour smile touched her lips, "But Splinter, he _chose_ to look after you and your brothers. That's love…" Before she could help herself, she felt tears rise in her eyes. She'd never spoken these thoughts aloud before, only dwelling on them in her darkest moments, hating others for the unconditional love they were given when she was raised in a place where success would mean praise, and failure punishment. Love never played a role.

"I hated you too." Leo looked down at her. "When I found out you were Splinter's daughter, his _real_ child, I felt like he would push us aside or sacrifice us to get you back…" He winced, clearly hating the truthfulness of his words as much as Karai had hated her own. "I climbed up to try and save you for various reasons…" He eventually continued, his eyes narrowing at the memory. Karai knew that look and it clarified what he was referring to – when she was dropped into the mutagen making her loose her mind. "Obviously, as I..." A blush arose upon his cheeks, " _love you_ " he quickly stumbled over the cringe worthy phrase, bringing a soft smile to Karai's lips. "But also," he cleared his throat, "I wanted to make sure that if it meant Splinter had to lose a son for a daughter… It wouldn't be one of my brothers." The kunoichi could only stare at her partner. She had often wondered why he had taken the risk to dangle above the vat of mutagen, yet for him to be so willing to give his own life, his own _sanity_ to save her and allow her to get back to Splinter… "But how well did that turn out…?" He gave a hollow laugh, pain clear in his features.

Karai raised a hand and pressed her palm against her husband's cheek, cupping it affectionately.

"We all have our faults. But look where it got us…"

Leo's expression softened slightly at that yet his eyes still showed a burning doubt. With a shake of his head, he raised himself up off the ground, making Karai roll to the side unceremoniously, and he moved to the edge of the cliff ledge.

"I never told you why I was here in the first place, did I?" His voice was hollow – the sound of despair and reluctance to open up. Propping herself up on her elbow, Karai watched his form, a mere silhouette against the setting sun. "I was sent away from home…" He turned back to her, and Karai could see the tears in his eyes. "Sensei ordered me to leave."

The kunoichi just stared. Leo? _Her_ Leonardo, sent away from home? It didn't seem possible.

"I fought with Raph. He said you would never come back… Told me I was obsessed and delusional." He gave a wet chuckle and shagged. "For the last two years I've been replaying that night over and again in my head." A hint of venom entered his voice at these words, "I've thought through _every_ alternative! There were better options! I could have taken Shredder on the ground below with my brothers and released Sensei. We could have taken out the FootBots and forced them to retreat. I could have taken out Stockman and lowered you down safely. I could have –" Seeing how worked up he was getting, Karai jumped to her feet and pulled Leo's shaking form to her, holding him in an embrace. For a moment he froze, yet a second later he lowered his face to her shoulder and sobbed. "I'm… I'm sorry…" He stammered through the tears, but Karai just held him, accepting his tale and his agony as if it were her own.

"We're just a bit broken." She eventually soothed, "But that's why we're here. To heal." She lowered her gaze as Leo raised his head from her shoulders, his blue eyes full of sorrow and heartbreak. Their mouths met and in a sudden explosion of passion their tongues entwined and their hands began running along each other's bodies, seeking a comfort no other being could offer to them. Clothes dropped to the ground and they followed suit, the sun casting long shadows along the ground, morphing their forms into one as they gasped and moaned in pleasure. They were no longer two beings but one entity, a creature of understanding and grief which slowly filled the two hearts with love and a new reason to continue.

As their trembling bodies reached the climax of their passions, their mouths opened and called each other's names, the syllables echoing together across the jungle below, until the forms sank on top of one another, exhausted and covered in sweat, yet with relief engraved into every line of their faces.

"I love you…" Leo's words came effortlessly as his hand ran down Karai's bare back, feeling the ripple of muscle under his fingers. "I'm _glad_ I came here…" He whispered, earning a deep kiss from his wife, and with a churr of pleasure, he rolled back on top of her and they continued on their quest for satisfaction.

"Make me whole…" Karai muttered seductively and that is just what Leo did.

…

…

…

…

The next morning, the couple awoke to a cool breeze over their naked bodies and soon realised what had happened.

Leo was, unsurprisingly – being the dork that he was – the first to comment on last night's _activities_.

"Um… About last night… Was it… Did I…" Enjoying the way his face steadily grew a deeper shade of crimson Karai watched with an impassive expression, waiting for him to start and finish an actual sentence, yet when it became apparent that this was never going to happen, she interrupted.

"It was wonderful." She stood and began to pull on the discarded clothes, "I don't regret a thing, _husband_." She winked, reminding him that thanks to a blind priest in the village a little way off, they were legally married, and Leo's face relaxed, obviously paranoid that he had come on too desperately to his wife and that his behaviour was unacceptable. Then Karai stooped down once more and sat beside him, running a hand down his bare arm, feeling the involuntary flinch she had become aware of the night before. Before he could stop her, she flipped his wrist over and raised an eyebrow.

"Leonardo, what is this?" She saw the brief look of panic in his cobalt blue eyes, yet it was quickly supressed and replaced by a look of acceptance.

"Like I said last night… I was blaming myself…" Came the muttered confession. Raising himself up to sit beside Karai, he held out his arm willingly, accepting the need to share these secrets with someone he trusted if he was ever going to _heal_ , as Karai had put it. The underside of both wrists were covered in numerous scars, so thin and neat, some deeper and more jagged – one worryingly close to an artery. "Physical pain helped numb the emotional." He admitted, "I never told Splinter that, he just thought it was part of my depression and didn't question it further…" Taking breath he met Karai's cool eyes. "I know you don't approve, but that was part of who I was. And I will ask to keep one secret from you – just the one. But only if you agree." Karai found herself nodding, seeing how vulnerable he was at this moment in time, how exposed he was and how he had already told her so much no one else understood about him. He took a breath. "Thank you. All I will say is that these" he gestured to his wrists, "are not just from the past couple of years, yet their significance I want to keep to myself…" He took her hand and she leaned against his side.

"I understand." She murmured into his chest plates, "Not everything can be revealed at once. I get that." Then she turned and met his eyes, her voice suddenly serious, "But if I find anymore marks I will beat the crap out of you until you tell me everything." She watched Leo's face move from shock, to fear and into a gentle smile.

"You're the best." She grinned back.

"Of course I am. That's why you like me, isn't it?"

But before he could think up a reply, Karai jumped to her feet and began to climb down the rock face. Leo shuffled to the edge and peered over the edge, eye ridges knitted together in confusion.

"Where are you going?"

"To the lake!" Karai didn't even look up as she scaled down the wall with the grace of a – well, a ninja.

"But I thought we were having a moment?" Leo called back, eyes wide and pleading. He was enjoying the early rays of sun and her scent mixed with his as she lay beside him.

"Don't kid yourself, Romeo. We may be married but I am not pathetic or soft." As she dropped to a ledge halfway down, she looked up, gave a cheeky wink and flipped him the finger. "I smell of turtle and I don't want some predator coming along thinking I may make an easy snack." With that she continued the climb down the rock face. It took a second for Leo to realise what had been said.

"Wait! Are you saying I'm easy prey?"

"I did blind you with no effort when we first met." She yelled back. Leo could almost hear the smirk behind the words.

"I'd just fought off a load of Foot ninjas!"

"Keep telling yourself that, three toes!"

"Well I kicked your butt… Like _dozens_ of times!" The turtle feebly countered. He watched his wife tip back her head and burst into savage laughter.

"Oh yeah, like when I was a deranged mutant serpent with no recollection of being human and I ended up poisoning you and nearly biting your face off!" Leo just muttered something inaudible. Karai reached the bottom and looked up. "Face it. I'm better than you. You think you deserve being top?" From the height he was at, Leo could just make out the wink that accompanied this statement and he flushed again. "Next time I'll rock your shell."

She turned, walked a couple of paces, then looked back with a sly expression.

"You know," Her voice was teasing, "I would have thought that being a _horny turtle_ whose _wife_ has just said she's going to the _lake_ to get _naked_ in the _water_ , you would be more eager to join me."

Even as she emphasised the words, Leo felt an animalistic pull of some innate desire and he blanched.

"Hang on, I'm coming!" He yelled and he threw himself over the cliff edge, scrambling down as fast as he could, suddenly overwhelmed by desire.

"Better hurry, as I'm gone." Karai called up to him and she vanished into the foliage. With a curse Leo hurried down after her. First they told each other their most intimate thoughts, then they had wild sex, now she was mocking him for being a turtle.

This would be one adventure in the jungle he would definitely _not_ be writing home about.

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

 **Well... that was nothing like what I had planned for today, but as I started writing this happened... Lend me your thoughts, I've never written anything of this kind before, so let me know your thoughts.**

 **Thanks for reading, as always reviews are deeply appreciated. Thanks to** TMNTTLK lover **and** SupernalGodzilla **for your support! I'll be replying to all reviews at the end of the week.**

 **LL99 Out.**


	4. Romantic trip or Road trip

**A/N:** **Just to say I don't know how well this fits the prompt as it's not technically on the** ** _road_** **nor is it really** ** _romantic_** **but ho hum. It's a drabble, I'm doing my best here!**

 **And to** SupernalGodzilla, **Here it is, the "origin of them meeting each other" Hope you enjoy. :)**

 **Day 4: Romantic trip/ Road trip**

 **Day 2 in the jungle**

It had been three days since Leo's official banishment from the Hamato clan and still it didn't feel real. He kept going over his father's words, how he had understood the young leader's burden, how he had blamed himself for Karai's mutation and how his obsession with trying to make up for his mistakes was causing him to lose control. Leo sighed and flopped backwards on the muddy ground, his eyes staring blankly up to a small patch of sky visible between the thick tree tops.

Now he had to stay out here for six months to get his head together…

"DAMN IT!" He suddenly screamed, screwing his eyes shut. He had disgraced himself in a way no period of time could rectify. He'd shouted with his brothers, nearly wounded Raphael when sparring, acted like a child ignoring his hot-headed brother and to top it all off – been sent away in the middle of the night without his precious swords, the only weapons with him being a tanto blade and a couple of kunai. A broken warrior. That's what he was.

For hours he had huddled in the belly of a cargo plane, in shock from his father's sentence and it was only upon landing, where he had snuck away from the airport into the humid jungle did reality hit home. He was alone. Far from everyone he loved and unable to do anything to help them.

And now he was laying in the mud with no clue where he was or how to get back to the airport, even if he wished to defy his master and sneak back home before it was time…

A sudden rustle caught his attention and, quickly palming a knife, Leo jumped to his feet, facing the sound only to see a flash of white as a snake's tail darted away. He rubbed his eyes. He was in a _jungle_ of course there was going to be creatures nearby. Shaking his head, he picked up his rucksack and went to find some shelter with a weight in his heart.

He hated being away from home.

He already missed his brothers.

…

…

…

…

 **Day 4 in the jungle**

A couple of days later, Leo had begun to get into a routine. He slept in an underground cavern, away from the night predators, and awoke with the morning sun. After collecting some berries and fruits from nearby trees he would wash in the lake and collect fresh water – the small waterfall at one end of the lake told him that the water wasn't standing so should be safe to drink. After that, he would meditate for several hours, going over the advice Splinter had given him to attempt to refocus himself and sort out his head.

But today he couldn't focus. Despite having his eyes closed he felt as if something was staring at him, some creature watching from the shadows. A movement from the side confirmed his suspicions and in one fluid movement, he snatched up the knife from beside him and got into a defensive stance, only to freeze in shock, wondering if he had hit his head or had gone insane.

The creature before him hissed, its eyes widening in fear, then it vanished into the thick foliage. A second later Leo's brain began to function again.

"KARAI!" The turtle yelled after the fleeing creature, chasing after her and clumsily tripping over a tree root in the process, ending up flat on his face. He looked up only to find she had gone. He had no idea in which direction.

But it was Karai… There was no way he could fail to recognise the large serpent with armour plating along her body and two pale white snake heads for hands. It was really her. She must have been following him, and with a jolt he recalled the white tail he had seen on his second day in the jungle. She had been following him since he had arrived. Somehow she had ended up in South America as well… She was alive, yet clearly in shock or deranged from the mutation. A wave of determination swept over Leo and he rose once again to his feet, a new will in his heart.

He could save Karai. He could fix his mistakes.

Now if he could only find a way to talk to her without scaring her off…

…

…

…

…

 **Day 5 in the jungle**

The next day Leo was ready for her. As soon as he fell into his usual meditative trance, he heard the unmistakable sound of a large snakelike body moving through the leaves, but unlike the day before, the turtle remained still, not giving any signs of hearing her.

Last night, as he had lay awake mulling over how he could get to Karai without spooking her, he had recalled some of Splinter's advice.

" _You do not need to move as fast as the world, allow yourself to move at your own pace and in time, you shall meet your goal just in the way it was intended_."

So a plan had formed. Leo wanted to test how close the mutant would come if he showed no signs of moving. Thus, he waited.

Over a period of time – he knew not how long it had been, yet it felt like eternity – he heard Karai gradually getting closer until the sounds came from directly in front of his face and he felt a hot breath against his features. Slowly, despite the speed of his pounding heart, Leo opened his eyes and meet those large green orbs calmly. Not a single muscle moved, yet he just stared, hoping to find some glimmer of recognition. Surely she had to remember him if she had been following him around like this?

Once he was certain she would not dart away, he raised his hands to signal he wasn't going to harm her and stood slowly, ensuring all his movements were as non-threatening as possible. Before him, Karai flinched, yet she didn't run. Leo almost breathed a sigh of relief, but then he saw her side.

Blood was seeping from between two of her chest plates where a wooden stake – the sort you saw in movies at the bottom of drop pits in hunter's traps – was imbedded. Leo winced for her. The wound looked fresh so there was a low risk of infection, yet if it was to heal he had to get it out.

"I need you to hear me, Karai…" He whispered causing her to cock her head, "I now you can understand me. I'm here to help you. I want to help." He gestured to her side and saw her tense, "I can get it out. Just _trust me_." He begged as he moved closer and thankfully, she remained still as he stood beside her. "Hear my voice and be at peace." He murmured. " _Anata o mamorimasu_." _I will protect you._

In one hurried movement, Leo grasped the stake and yanked it out of Karai's flank, causing her to scream in a loud piercingly high pitch tone which burned Leo's ears. He quickly applied pressure to the wound and was relieved to find it wasn't bleeding too heavily, yet Karai's sense of calm vanished. With another shriek, she lunged at Leo and her two snake head arms sank their teeth into his upper arms, making him gasp as a hot wave of venom entered his bloodstream. The snake mutant's jaws unhinged as if ready to bite his face off, and Leo called her name, trying to reach her.

"HAMATO MIWA! KARAI! PLEASE!"

And a sudden change came over the mutant's face. Her eyes deepened in colour and the pupils widened. There was a snake like gasp and the heads removed themselves from Leo, leaving small trails of blood down his limbs.

" _Lllllleeeooooo?_ " Came the hissed response and the pained turtle smiled.

"Knew… You'd… rememeber…" With a final grin, his vision darkened as the venom worked deep into his system. " _Rin, pyō, tō, sha, kai, jin, retsῡ, zai, zen…_ " He murmured, barely maintaining consciousness as he recalled the healing mantra Splinter had taught him. " _Rin, pyō, tō, sha, kai, jin, retsῡ, zai, zen…Rin, pyō, tō, sha…_ " And with that, he fainted, falling into an uneasy pain-filled slumber.

…

…

…

…

 **Day 7 in the jungle**

Two days later, Leo regained consciousness for a short time to find himself in a fevered state. The mantras had obviously managed to save his life from the venom since he was still breathing, yet there was still enough left in his system to make him extremely ill.

As he opened his heavy eyelids, he found himself in a cave on top of a bed of leaves, the shadows danced around his vision and made everything blurry. He heard howls from the jungle and pounds from a drum, but then again could it be his own heartbeat? Everything seemed uncertain. Nothing was clear.

Why was there a giant snake next to him? Who was this " _Leo_ " she kept calling to? Why was it so warm? No, it was too cold? Or maybe warm… Could it be both? His veins were on fire. He wanted water.

He opened his mouth to try and speak to the giant snake yet a croak came out, not even words.

The snake moved, and the brightness of her scales made his head hurt. Her movements were too fast to follow. It made his head spin.

He closed his eyes and let the darkness consume him again.

…

…

…

…

 **Day 8 in the jungle**

Leo awoke to the sensation of water on his chin. Through bleary eyes he saw the snake leaning over him, gently pouring cooling water down his throat before dabbing it across his fevered brows. It was nice. He wanted to thank her, to say nice things to her, but his voice didn't want to work.

He knew her, that he was certain of, but he didn't know where from. She was like an angel. Could a snake be an angel? Who was she? This "Leo" she kept speaking of – that was him, wasn't it? Or was that his imagination?

He was confused. He was tired.

The snake's hand rested on the side of his face and he leant into the touch, hearing the small snake head under his cheek make a sound of comfort.

He closed his eyes again.

…

…

…

…

 **Day 10 in the jungle**

The next time he awoke, Leo found himself groggy, still weak from fever, yet more conscious than he had previously been. As soon as he opened his eyes he remembered everything, Karai, their meeting, the venom through his veins and his fevered state. Too weak to move, he looked around, searching for the familiar shape and found her in one corner of the cave, curled up by the wall.

"K…Kar…ai…" His voice cracked from little use. "Kar…ai?" He tried again, slightly louder, and the snake lifted her head, and met his gaze. Slowly she approached, yet not from the fear she had previously shown, but more from… _guilt_?

"Yooouuurrr awakkkkeeee…" She hissed, and Leo thought he would never hear anything as sweet as those two words again.

"Y…you can… talk…" He whispered with a pained smile. Then he ungracefully broke out into harsh coughs. In an instant Karai was by his side and raised a cup of water to his parched lips and tentatively lifted his upper body up slightly so he could easily drink. Once the cup was finished he leant into her side with a sigh, unable to move but not really wanting to. "I've… searched for… you… so long…"

"I'mmm ssssssoorrrryyy." Karai's voice broke a little, making Leo raise his head in confusion. "I loossssstt connntrrollll." Leo shook his head, making the headache forming at the back of his skull grow in intensity.

"Makes... Two of… us…" He smiled, thinking of his fight a lifetime ago with his brothers.

"Whaatttt do yoouuu meaannnn?" The serpent hissed, yet found Leo had dropped back into unconsciousness. She carefully laid the turtle back down and placed a damp cloth across his forehead and waited. Karai could now remember as well, she recalled his soft words, his dork smiles and his voice shouting her name.

Her madness had passed. Leo had brought her back, and this was how she had repaid him. Alone in the dark, Karai cried.

…

…

…

…

 **Day 13 in the jungle**

Every day, Leo awoke for longer periods of time and gradually began getting his strength back. He discovered from Karai that he had been in and out of a raging fever for around a week and had seemed to nearly stop breathing a couple of times.

Yet by some miracle, he had pulled through and was gradually getting his bearings. Karai had taken him to her lair, a cave in a high mountain top which looked down over the jungle and in the distance, towards the airport.

Something else amazing happened when Leo began to recover his strength, Karai not only began to open up and talk more, but began attempting to morph back into a human. She had admitted that she hadn't been back in her human form since just after she had been mutated, nearly two years ago, so transforming back was no easy feat.

By the end of the first day where Leo was fully conscious, Karai managed to change her face back – which in all honesty was quite disturbing for Leo, seeing the girl's face he fancied on the body of a large snake, but all the same he praised the effort. The next day she managed to change her entire torso and the day after she removed the tail and was almost back to her old self – save for the scales still covering her pale skin. By the time Leo was ready to get up and start moving about again, Karai had removed her scales and the two were slowly readjusting themselves after their long struggles.

On Day 13 of Leo being in the jungle, the two were sitting side by side on the ledge at the edge of the cave and were watching the jungle below.

"Karai, thanks." The woman looked sideways, confusion clearly written on her features.

"For what? Poisoning you?" Leo could see she wouldn't let that one drop for a long time.

"No." He corrected, "For finding me. I came here to… train" He chose the word carefully, not wanting to tell her yet why he was really away from home, "and I lost my reason for fighting." He met her gaze. "Thanks to you, I've found it."

Karai rolled her eyes at the cheesy line, but shared a smile with him. No more words were needed, they leant against one another and continued watching the spread of life below them. Leo now understood why Splinter had sent him away. He had become too unfocused and unbalanced, prioritising one thing over all else, and now, now the turtle understood.

He recalled a teaching Splinter had given once: _Find your heart and you shall find your home_.

He was home. He had found her.

They would get better, and together they could return to New York ready for the future, ready to make up for their mistakes.

Maybe this trip wouldn't be so bad, he found himself thinking as he looked at the smile on Karai's lips. Maybe it wouldn't be bad at all…

 **And that, folks, is how Leo and Karai met each other after two long years. Karai poisoned Leo and nearly killed him. How romantic. XD**

 **Leave your thoughts in a review, it'll mean the world!**

 **LL99 Out.**


	5. Free Day: First Thoughts

**Day 5: Free Day – whatever you want!**

 **First Thoughts**

 **Leo**

"So… What's with the girl that tried to kill you?" Raph muttered to Leo, turning away from their brothers for a little privacy.

"She didn't try to kill me, she _saved_ me." Leo corrected, determined to save Karai's honour.

"She threw a knife at your head."

"She threw a knife _near_ my head."

"She's in the Foot Clan." Ouch. That was a low blow. True, but it still hurt. With a sigh, Leo patted his brother's shoulder and moved towards his room.

"Nobody's perfect." He smiled, looking once again down at the blade in his hand, remembering her final word to him, " _Sayonara_."

How soft her voice had been, almost tender to hear. It had been a completely different tone to what she had used when they had been fighting, when she was mocking him with her taunts of "Let's see how well you do against someone who's better than you" "I'll listen… when you beg for your life!" and even " _Kocho-giri_. Predictable." Those times, her voice had been like steel. Ruthless and unyielding, yet as soon as she took off her mask and Leo had seen the smooth skin and narrow features he realised there was another side to this girl, then he heard it in her voice. "My name's Karai. See you around."

A tease, a challenge, an invite? Who knew what it had meant. Yet her voice had been like silk. Oriental, fresh and completely captivating.

Leo shut his bedroom door behind him, stripped off his gear and laid down upon the bed, his brain feeling hazy yet completely fixated upon this new opponent. Could he really have fallen for her that bad? He recalled his words to April, "I've met this girl!" A low groan emitted from his chest. He'd needed someone to speak to and she'd seemed the only one who would understand, Mikey would make a fuss, Donnie would give a thousand reasons why seeing her was a risk, Raph would pound him flat and Splinter… Well Leo would be banished from the clan for being so reckless. The young leader had hoped their human ally would be someone he could confess his feelings to, yet she had slapped him and yelled at him for being so careless…

 _When do I get to have any fun?_

In a short moment all his control had melted away, leaving him uncharacteristically vulnerable. He had admitted that he had a burden, and that Karai seemed to give him a way to cope, a way to feel _normal_. Why shouldn't he have a bit of fun?

There was a knock at his door and Leo sat up, quickly pushing the tanto blade under his pillow out of sight.

"Who is it?"

"Guess!" Came the soft reply and Leo rolled his eyes.

"Come in Mikey."

The door swung open and Leo's youngest brother came bounding across the room and flung himself on the bed beside Leo and enveloped him in a hug.

"It wasn't the same without you today…" He murmured into Leo's shoulder, making the leader smile in gratitude of the words and returned the embrace.

"Thanks, little brother." He smiled. "That does mean a lot." Those adorable baby blue eyes lifted up and met his own.

"You're a great leader, Leo." Mikey's voice was uncharacteristically serious. "But you need a hobby. You need to cut loose sometimes. Let yourself have a bit of fun. You need to have your own life as well. Don't forget that." Without another word, the orange banded turtle jumped back up, his usual cheeky grin back on his face and he winked at Leo. "As for me, I'm gonna prank Raph for you! If you hear screams, you know I've succeeded!" Then he was gone.

Leo was still in shock.

Everything Mikey had just said had been what Karai had said to him earlier that night, when she was criticising Shredder's obsession with his vendetta and when she was criticising his "goody three-toes" attitude. Could it be a sign? That Karai would offer an escape?

With a snort Leo laid back down and closed his eyes.

He liked her. He could accept that. It wasn't like he was giving her intel on his family or bringing her to the lair, what harm could come of it?

Behind closed lids he saw her pale face, the soft curve of her full lips, the dark tattoos surrounding her eyes making each look she cast highly expressive. And her words.

" _Because you're the first thing in this city that doesn't bore me._ "

She found him interesting. And that was what Leo clung onto as he fell asleep, a small smile of pleasure stretched out upon his lips.

…

…

…

…

 **Karai**

Once she had left the rooftop where Leo and his red banded brother had been battling a giant weed – _man this town was interesting than Japan –_ Karai defied her orders to return straight home but instead took up a spot on a rooftop to watch the battle. She saw Leo cut himself free with her blade, bringing a smirk to her lips, and saw the two turtles charge at the mutant and how they froze and smashed it into tiny pieces.

If she wanted she could easily follow them from a distance and discover their lair, however something stopped her from doing so. There was an alien sensation in her chest, pulling at her heart. All her life she had trained with the sole intention of getting revenge on the one called _Hamato Yoshi_ who took her mother from her, and such a fierce rage left little room for what she had dubbed 'soft' emotions like compassion and love, yet here she was allowing the enemy to escape.

But that Leo had gotten under her skin. He was such a dork, the way he had looked at her when she had first approached him had sent a shock through her system. The turtle had looked awestruck and that was something Karai was not used to. And their fights. He treated her as an equal, someone he was willing to take the time to know through their duels, and that was an approach her father nor any of her instructors had ever taken with her. Everyone in the Foot Clan had always forced her to become a weapon, finely tuned and sharpened for battle, yet within a single night this guy, this _turtle_ had cut straight through her protective layers and seen her for who she was. And he hadn't fled. He had spoken to her like a friend and treated her with the respect she longed for.

If she didn't know better she would have said she had fallen for him. Not that she'd admit it to anyone.

Standing, she made up her mind. Across the street she saw Leo and his brother pause in an alleyway and the blue banded turtle looked up and for a brief moment their eyes connected sending a shock through the kunoichi system. Karai inclined her head, letting him know she would not follow, before she turned heel and darted away into the night, heading home.

Her father would kill her if he knew, yet she wouldn't tell him.

Later that night – after being scolded by the Shredder for returning late and for not bringing the head of Leonardo on a silver platter (he expected too much) – Karai returned to her room, undressed, and – like Leo all the way below the city was doing at that very moment – she lay back on her bed and thought of the turtle with a smile.

Somehow that mutant had got under her skin, but for some reason she didn't mind. She had admitted things to him she wouldn't normally allow herself to, how she disrespected her father with such ease, " _It's all he ever talks about. "Revenge, revenge, vendetta, vendetta.""_ The lack of self-control was frightening, yet at the same time exhilarating.

She was a rebel. Going for an honourable guy from the enemy clan was her style wasn't it, wasn't her fault that she felt attracted to him in a way she had never felt before…?

Yet he had another side, she could feel it. A side beneath the perfect little soldier routine he was putting up. He was tired of pretending and she could relate to that. They both had duties to their clans, both had jobs to do yet both had to suppress their own desires for the benefits of others. Maybe that was what drew her to him. She smiled as she closed her eyes, recalling his words.

"You know what? I don't think you're as bad as you pretend to be."

 _Oh Leonardo, you wonderful dork,_ she found herself thinking as she drifted off to sleep, _I'm not as bad as I pretend to be… I'm worse._

 **Not my best piece, but I'm running out of drive! Just a little look inside the couple's head after their first meeting all those years ago. Back to the start of their relationship.**

 **So we've gone from the relationship's end to their child, to their most intmate talks and their meeting after Karai's mutation. What a couple, what a story.**

 **There you have it folks, 5 whole days of writing Leorai. I meant to put a note up on the first chapter, but all this has all been cannon with the backstory for the New Hamato Clan, better late than never, eh?! ;P**

 **Please leave your thoughts of this collection as I would greatly appreciate the support.**

 **My thanks to** SupernalGodzilla, TMNTTLK lover **& the guest **Pe **for the reviews and for following this challenge.**

 **Just to say I've been drawing something for each day as well and have been working on a giant painting as a present this week, so I have not stopped. I'm away this weekend, but sometime next week the next chapter of 1056 Hours will be up :)**

 **LL99 Out.**

 **Leorai forever. 3**


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